Propeller



E. S. SHOWERS.

PROPELLER.

APPLICATION FlL-ED DEC. 20. 1917.

1,327,066. Patented Jan. 6, 1920.

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ERNEST SIN CLARE SHOl/VERS, OF CALUMET,'MICI-EIGAN.

PROPELLER.

Application filed December 20, 1917.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ERNEST S. Snownns, a. citizen of the United States, residing at Caluinet, in the county of Honghton and State of Michigan, have invcnteda new and useful Propeller, of which the following is a specification.

The subject of this invention is a propeller wherein vanes present surfaces of resistance to the air, when the propeller is revolved, to deliver a propulsive force.

The main object of the invention is to pro vide a propeller with flexible vanes which coordinate to present surfaces of resist-mice to the air, when the propeller is revolved, to deliver a propulsive force.

Another object is to provide vanes which present a concaved helical surface to the air when the propeller is revolved.

iirnother object is to provide a simple and efficient propeller.

With the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood that changes in the precise embodiment of the invention herein disclosed, can be made within the scope of what is claimed, without departing from the spirit of the invention.

One practical embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawings, wherein Figure l is a plan view of the propeller.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation.

Fig. 3 is a plan view showing the position assumed by the vanes when the propeller is revolved.

Referring to the drawings by numerals A propeller shaft is indicated by the numeral 1, and to this shaft are secured the spaced, radially extending cross arms 22 and To each cross arm 2 is fastened the base of a substantially trapezoidal vane "l. Along the opposite edge of each vane 4 is secured a flexible rod 5. A cable 66, connects the outer end of each rod to the end of a radial arm 3, while a cable 77 conof each rod 5 with the outer end of its radial arm 3. Another cable 8-8 connects the inner end of each rod 5 to the shaft 1 at the point where the cross arms 3-3 join the shaft. The cables 6 and 7 are of substantially the same length, as shown.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 6, 1920. Serial No. 208,124.

A series of ropes or cables are secured to the propeller shaft 1 at a point midway between the cross arms 2 and 3. The cable 9, extends radially from the shaft 1, and is secured, throughout the greater portion of its length, to the vanes ables 10 extend from the shaft in an outwardly sloping direction and each is secured to the inner edge of its vane a at a point about midway between the longitudinal center of the vane and its rear edge. Each of these cables is then led across its vane in a diagonal direction, to the outer edge of the ane, then back diagonally to the rod 5, and from thence to the original point of attachment. It is un derstood that each cable, where it passes across the vane, is secured thereto and forms a reinforcement and support therefor. Other cables 11 are secured to the same point on the propeller shaft, and slope outwardly from the shaft and toward the forward edges of the vanes. Each cable 11 is attached to the inner edge of a vane and extends from such point of attachment diagonally across the vane to a point on its outer edge. From the outer edge of the vane the cable is then led in a diagonal direction to a point on the forward edge of the vane, and from thence back along the vane to the original point of attachment to the inner edge of the vane. These cables, where they cross the vanes, are attached thereto and form a reinforcement, and support therefor.

As will-be understood, the propeller can be used on aeroplanes, ice boats, snow boats, and vehicles of any character, on which an air propeller could be advantageously used.

Referring to Fig. 3, and considering the propeller as revolving clockwise, that is, the lower vane moving toward the drawing and away from the observer, and the upper vane moving outwardly toward the observer, it will be noted that the lower vane is bowed outwardly toward the observer by the air pressure, giving a concave surface on the side presented to the air. There is also a twisting of the vane so that the edge 4: of

the lower vane is bent outwardly toward the observer, as it approaches the rod 5, contorting the same into a substantially helical curve. This distortion of the vanes presents a large resisting surface to the air and at an angle most efiective for propulsion. Be cause of the rapidly changing pressure con ditions, the propeller revolves, the vanes,

Law

which are rather loosely suspended as seen in Fig. 2, are given a more or less violent rippling or winging motion, which-also contributes toward the propulsion.

Having described my invention, what 1 claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is v 1. A propeller, comprising a shaft, forward and rear cross arms on the shaft, vanes each secured along its forward edge to a cross arm, a rod secured along the rear edge of each vane, cables connecting each rod to a rear cross arm, and cables, affixed to the shaft at a point intermediate the forward and rear cross arms, secured to the vanes 

